Title IX complaints surprise HISD's athletic director

Published 6:30 am, Wednesday, November 10, 2010

High school girls don't have sufficient opportunities to participate in sports in the Houston Independent School District, one of 12 districts across the country where a significant gap exists, a nonprofit women's advocacy group argues in a complaint filed on Wednesday.

The National Women's Law Center says HISD and the other districts violate Title IX, a federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in any educational program or activity.

"I was surprised to hear about the complaint, but if we aren't in compliance we will get in compliance and that is all there is to it," said Marmion Dambrino, HISD's athletic director.

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Dambrino has done her share of taking steps for female athletes — starting in the mid-1970s when as a junior high softball player she asked her city council to build fields to earlier this year, when she became HISD's first female athletic director.

As of Tuesday evening, the Office for Civil Rights had not contacted HISD. According to the federal agency's website, it can take up to 30 days for a complaint to be processed, after which it could launch an investigation. If the agency determines that HISD is not providing female students with equal opportunities to play sports, the office would ask for a remedy.

"If they launch an investigation, we will work with them on it," Dambrino said. "So far, we haven't heard from them, but when and if we do, we are willing to help them in any way."

The Women's Law Center worked on its investigation of the 12 school districts for several months, said spokeswoman Neena Chaudhry. The complaints are meant to open eyes, she said.

"These 12 aren't the worst school districts in the country," said Chaudhry, whose group also filed complaints against the New York City Department of Education and the Chicago Public Schools. "We chose several school districts … from all over the country to provide a sample. It is to make people think and make them aware of the lack of opportunity for females. That is a problem that needs to be addressed."

The data used in the Women's Law Center's investigations came from surveys submitted to the Office for Civil Rights in 2006. According to the data, HISD's average participation gap ­- the difference between the percentage of girls enrolled and the percentage of athletes who are girls - is 11.9 percentage points. Title IX requires an "equitable opportunity" between male and female athletes.

There are roughly 8,000 female athletes (38 percent) and 13,000 male athletes in HISD high schools, but exact numbers aren't available for this year, Dambrino said. In 2006, HISD's high school enrollment for schools that offer athletics was 51.1 percent male and 48.9 percent female.

Bellaire girls basketball and golf coach Mike Kramer said interest largely dictates how many females go out for sports. Last year, the Cardinals girls varsity basketball team only had eight players, and it is considered one of the top programs in the area.

"All you can do is hang up your posters and make your announcements inviting girls to come out for sports," Kramer said.

Kramer, who has been in HISD since 1981 and at Bellaire since 1995, said the number of girls participating in athletics fluctuates every year, but the district is giving athletes options.

"In this district, the girls have every opportunity the boys do," he said. "It is up to those girls to come play sports."

HISD is an open enrollment district, so when a student is an eighth-grader, he or she can go to any high school in the district. Once a student is in high school, he or she can't transfer for athletic purposes.

Sports offered by the district are determined on a yearly basis by a committee at each individual school, based on need and interest. In 2006, Wheatley High School did not have softball. In 2007, the school provided a coach and equipment so the school could field a team.

"Sometimes it is about the facilities," Dambrino said. "Let's say School A has swimming facilities and School B doesn't. An eighth-grader who wants to be a swimmer could go to School A. If that student decides after eighth grade, then you run into eligibility issues."

Chaudhry, who was working with the Women's Law Center in 1997 when it filed complaints against several universities for not meeting the guidelines of Title IX, said they hoped the complaints would cause the Office for Civil Rights to look at the school districts more closely.

"We just want to be sure girls out there know what their opportunities are and these schools are giving those same opportunities to boys and girls on their campuses," Chaudhry said.

Dambrino is on the same page.

"I obviously care a lot about girls' athletics, so we will do what we have to do," she said. "I think it will be interesting to see how this all plays out and hopefully something good will come out of it."